Refrigerator building



P. MANDEVILILE.

REFRIGERATOR BUILDING. APPLICATION FILED IAN.29. I9I9.

1,413,230; en e pr. 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

P. MANDEVILLE;

REFRIGERATOR BUILDING.

I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. 1913. I 1,413,230. ente Apr. 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NI/ I UNHED sra'rss Parser ()FEHQE;

PAUL MANDEVILLE, OF CHICAGO, ELLIJI'ITOIS.

REFEIGERATQR BUILDING.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Application and January 29, 1919. Serial No. 273,783.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that 1, PAUL lil'axnnrirnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the-county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator Build-- ings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had' to the accompanyin drawings.

ties readily accessible to the sources of product-ion for cooling and storing the eggs or poultry until such time as they could be marketed under favorable conditions. In small communities, where the local. business is not of sufiicient volume to justify the investment required to erect and maintain a large cold storage warehouse equipped with the usual refrigerating machinery, farmers. and also the ultimate consumers, have suffered either from the necessity of shipping in small lots under unfavorable conditions as to transportation charges and preservation en route. or from the collection of the produce in sufficient quantity to enable shipment to be made under favorable conditirms,

without cold storage facilities during the time required for such collection. either case a considerable loss is almost certain tl'lrough depreciation. The desirability of a cold storage or pre-cooling structure which could be built at comparatively small] cost, and could be operated at very little expense so that it would be practicable to provide such structures in very small communities has theretofore been well understrmd. but

prior toniy invention this want has not been supply of ice or for the introduction or re moval of the articles handled for storage or pie-cooling purposes. I accomplish this obect as illustratedin the drawings and as hereinafter described. lVhat I regard as new will be set forth. in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a central vertical section of my improved refrigerator building, taken on linellof Fig. 2;

Fig. 2' is a horizontal section, substantially on line 22 of Fig. l; I I

.Fig. 3 1s a fragmentary perspectiveview illustrating apart of the ccilingl construo tion, and showing the duct used when forced circulation is desired; I

Fig. at is a partial vertical cross section on line 4+4 of Fig. l; and I F ig; 5 is'a partial vertical. cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing the con struction ofthefloor of the cooling room or chamber. i '7 i My improved refrigerator building, in the embodiment thereofillustrated, comprises three rooms or chambers, A, B], C, separated by partitions 67 in which are doorways.

8+9; respecti 'zely, adapted tobe closed by double swinging doors 1011 and slidindoors 1213., as shown i'n Fig. 2.; [Therefrigerant or ice containing chamber A is adapted to contain amass of ice dumped loosely therein and is provided with a suitable floor of rrnicreteor other suitable material arranged to drain into a sump. l4 sunk in the floor of said compartment, as shown in F 1. 15 indicates joists which extend transversely of the ice chamber floor and support a. series of slats 16' which form an open-work floor on" which the ice rests. The spaces between the joists 15 form ducts for conducting cold air from the lower portion of the ice chamber A under the intermediate chamber C to the cooling chamber 13, as will be hereinafter described. The sump is provided with an overflow pipe 17 arranged to prevent the water accumulating in the sump from rising beyond a predetermined height, as shown in Fig. 1.

18 indicates a rack placed in the ice chamber Al. preferably centrally thereof. opposite the doorway 8, shown in Fig. 2, which rack is designed to support a number of shallow pans 19 which goto make up an apparatus for regulating the humidity of the air in the ice chamber according to the method described and claimed in Letters of the water by means of pans. floated. ,u

- eral Way in the present drawings.

Patent No.'l,276,241, granted to me August 20, 1918. Said patentv illustrates and describes in detail the apparatus which 1 prefer to use, and which is indicated in a gen-, It will. sufiice for the purpose of this application to say that cold water supplied by the melting ice is pumped from the sump l t. by a pump 20, preferably placed in a well sunk be low the floor of the ice chamber, into the uppermost pan or" the series, and then overflows into the next lower pan in which it flows back to the opposite end of the rack where it again flows into the next lower pan, and so on, until it is returned to the siunp.

Thus a large area of exposed liquid is provided which, by its contact with the air, causes the condensation of moisture carried by the air. The humidity of the air regulated by covering a greater or less area on the surface of the water in one or more oi? 'the large pans, as pointed out in my said.

patent. V v

The cold storage or pie-cooling room B provided with a reticulated floor compo;-.ed of longitudinal boards. or strips 22 spaced apart, on which arelaid cross strips 23, also spaced apart, as'illustrated "in l and 2. The under boards 22 are laid upon. joists 24 which extend transversely of the chain bers B and C, and being spaced apart, tl'orm ducts 25, shown in Fig. 5, which connnuir icate with the ducts between the j ois't s i) o the ice chamber A. Thus cold air may flow from the lower portion oi the ice chamber through said ducts under the doors or the intermediate chamber C and the cooli chamber B, where it rises into the lattci".

chamber. As the air becon'les warmer it rises to the ceiling-of thejcooling eh nbcr, and as will be liereimir'ter more particuhirly described, passes over the ceiling of the in termediate chamber (.7 back into the upper portion of the ice chamber A, where it is again cooled, thus providing a gravity circulation through the coolingchamber i; and around the intermediate chamber U.

26 indicates the ceiling oi the cooling chamber "B which is secured to joists 2'? which extend transversely over the chambers forms the bottom of the ducts 29 wherethey pass over said intermediate chamber. is

Fig. it.

shown in Fig. -l, the cross pieces 30 are placed a short distance from the partition (.3 atthe ice chamber side thereof so that the ducts 29 extend slightly beyond said partition and such extended portions of said ducts open into the ice chamber, thereby permitting the returning air to iiowt-hereinto. The ceiling 26 ot the cooling chamber is provided with a series of openings at our renient points to permit the air risingin said chamber to enter said ducts, as shown in Fig. 1. indicates swinging doors prorided to close or regulate the oi the ru enings oil the ducts into the ice chamber. Preferably I provide two oii said doors, each extending half-way the length of the ice chamber. The position oi said doors may be controlled. by cords or chains 3 t hanging down into the intermediate chant ber C and extending over pulleys to the partition 6 and next to the ceiling of said chamber, as shown'in Figs. 1 and 3. This duct communicates with the ducts 29 asthe ceiling 3i cut a\vay'over'it, as shown'i'a Consequently theair flowing through ithe ducts 29 n pass into the duct '37.' The I t h length by a pipe EES with a ianbr blower 39 0? any suitable description, which discharges into the ice chamber A... This fan, which ma conveniently be driven by an electric bomber, thereby causing a more rapidhirwhich lead to the cooling chaml'ier. When The outer walls of the several. chambers" are double and are properly insulated, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. and the ceilings o t said. chambers are. also insulated, as shown in said figures. Also the floors of the chainbers B and C are insulated, so that the interior oi said chambers and the duc s through which the cooling air circulates are not materially affected by the outside temperature. T he material which I prefer to use for insulating the several chambers is baled compressed. shavings, but no claim is herein made to such insulation, as I am about to file a separate application for patent therefor. In so far as my present invention is motor, therefore operates to draw air through ducts 29 and discharge itintb the ice.

ore described.

I e point i} their attachment. to said doors. 3 Any suitable means may be pro'yided ion duct is connected 'centrally of its f ire Thus air may circulate over the several chambers to aid in keeping them cool in hot weather.

l3 indicates a doorway leading into the intermediate chamber C from a loading platform er. Said. doorway is closed by double swinging doors l5 and a sliding door 46, as shown in Fig. 2. Preferably the intermediate chamber C is further insulated from the outer atmosphere by a partition 47 forming a vestibule D. The partition 47 is provided with a doorway48 provided with double swinging doors 49, as shown in Fig. 2. ltwill be understood that all of the double swinging doors hereinbetore reterred to are hung on spring hinges arranged to keep the doors normally. shut, and to permit them to swing in either direction so that by pushing a truck against them they may be opened. 50 indicates a scuttle in the ceiling of the intermediate chamber C which opens into the space under the rooi and is closed by an insulated cover 51, thus affording convenient access to the attic or space under theroof. The intermediate chamber C is provided with an impertorate double floor 52, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the cold air flowing to the cooling chamber B cannot escape into the intermediate chamber.

The intermediate chamber 0 is" used as a shipping room. and as a passage-way for allording convenient access either to the ice chamber or to the cooling chamber. It also serves as a means oi -further insulating the other two chambers from the outer atmos phere as the temperature in the shipping room is always cool. and consequently when the doors into. the ice'or cooling chambers are temporarily opened in the ordinary operation of the house, the temperature in those rooms is not materially afl ected. The temperaturein the shipping room is maintainer at a relatively low point byrcason of the fact that the air which cools the cooling room lows immediately under-the floor of the shipping room and the returning warmer air. wl. clr. however. is .F-Llll quite cooh flows overthe ceiling of the shipping room, Besides the partitimis betwee the ice and cooling chambers and the shipping room. while providing a large-measure of insulation, are not intended to. completely insulate'the shipping chamber from the others.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that by placing a mass ice in the ice chamber the cooled and' its humidi ated by the controlling apparatus pro ded in said chamber. The cooled air will sink to the door of the ice chamber and will then. pass through the ducts or. fines provided by the joists under the floors oi the chambers B-C. rising through the floor oi the cooling chamher where it will be warmed to some ext by the heat given oil' by the articles in storage. The warmer air will rise through the ceiling of the cooling chamber and then [low back to'the ice chamber, entering said chamber through the openings adjacent to the partition (5, provided the doors 33 are open and the tan is not in operation. Thus a continuous. gravity circulation of cooling air is provided by which it is possible to maintain the temperature in the cooling chamber very nearly the same as that in the ice chamber. By introducing the cold air at the bottom of the cooling chamber instead of at the top eddies are avoided and. the room is cooled more uniformly throughout its area and a more nearly uniform temperature is maintained between the cooling chamber and the ice chamher. The designof the ice chamber permits it to receive a large body of ice disposed-in mass 30 that the entire body of ice acts to cool the air and serves as a stabilizer of the temperature so that it is maintained more nearly uniform. The arrangement of the several chambers that they are protected from outside temperature also conserves ice and enablesthe plant to be operated at comparatively slight espense for ice. H, for any reason, the normal gravity circulation of the air is not su'fiicient to maintain the desired temperature in the cooling chamber, as, for example, it the cooling chaml' er is well filled, or it the ice supply is low, or if the articles stored give off an i'inusual amount of heat. a. forced circulation ot air may he maintained by closing the doors and operating the fan 39.. By this means the rapidity of theflow of air may be increased toany desired extent. It will be noted that there is only one outside door opening throughwhich access is had to the three chambers, and. this is an important factorin conserving cold and reducing the cost of operation.

.The pump by which the meltage from the ice is pumped into the uppermost pan of controlled either. by the levelof the water in the sump, or the temperature in the ice chamber, as may he preferred. This meltage is, of course, quite cold, and the circulation of the water through the several pans has considerable effect in reducing the temperature of the air in said chamber. Therefore, by controlling the rapidity of the flow of the ice water by varying the operation of the pump by means of suitable thermostatic controlling mechanism, the temperature in the ice chamber may be very accurately controlled. Where a lower temperature is required than can be obtained 3y the natural melting of the ice, salt may be thrown upon the mass of ice, thereby reducing its melting point, or ice and salt may be added to the meltage in the sump. The resulting brine may be circulated through the pans in the manner already de scribed. My improved building is, therefore, well adapted for use for cold storage purposes, although it is primarily intended for pro-cooling and transient storage. While I have described it as used for storing eggs and poultry, it may, ofcourse, be used for treating any other articles requiring precooling or storage at a low temperature.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a sump below the level of the floor thereof forreceiving the meltage from the ice, a series of pans in said ice chamber, means for delivering water from said sump to said pans, a cooling chamber separate from said ice chamber, and means for causing air from said ice chamber to circulate throu h said cooling chamber.

2. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a sump for receiving the meltage from the ice, a series of pans in said ice chamber, means for delivering water from said sump to said pans, a cooling chamber, an intermediate chamber between said ice and cooling chambers, and means for conducting air from the lower portion ofsaid ice chamber under said intermediate chamber to the lower portion of said cooling chamher and for returning air from the upper portion of said cooling chamber to said ice chamber.

, 8. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a sump for receiving the meltage from the ice, a series of pans in said ice chamber, means for delivering water from said sump to said pans, a cooling chamher, an intermediate chamber between said ice and cooling chambers, means for conducting air from the lower portion of said ice chamber under said intermediate chamber to the lower portion of said cooling chamber and for returning air from the upper por. tion of said coolingchamber to said ice chamber, and means for maintaining a forced circulation of the air.

' 4. A refrigerator building comprising an diate chamber between said ice and cooling chambers, ducts leading from the 106 chamher under the intermediate chamber to the ducts either by gravity or by forced circulation.

5. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a cooling chamber, and an mfer-mediate chamber having doorways communicating with said ice and cooling chambers, means for causing air from said ice chamber to circulate through cooling chamber and around and without said intermediate chamber, and an outside doorway for said intermediate chamber.

6. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a cooling chamber, and an intern'iediate chamber having doorwayscommunicating with said ice and cooling chamber, means for causing air from said ice chamber to circulate through said coo-ling chamber and around and without said intermediate chamber, an outside doorway for said intermediate chamber, and a vestibule between said intermediate chamber and said. outside doorway. I

7. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a cooling chamber, and an intermediatechamber having an outside doorway and doorways communicating with said ice and cooling chambers, floor. joists extending under said cooling and intermediate chambers to form ducts communicating with said ice chamber, an imperforate floor in said 7 and doorways communicating with said ice and cooling chambers, means for conducting air from the lower portion of said ice chamber under said intermediate chamber to the lower portion of said cooling chamber, ceiling joists extending over said cooling and intermediate chambers and forming-ducts for conducting air from the upper portion of said cooling chamber back to said ice cha1nher, a ceiling in said cooling chamber having openings for the admission of air to said ducts, and an imperforateceiling for saidin;- termediate chamber. I I V 9. A refrigerator building comprising an termediate chamber communicating with said ice and cooling chambers, said inter mediate chamber having an outside doorway, insulated outside walls for said chamice chamber, a cooling chamber, and an inhers, said walls being unbrokenexcept for a single doorway opening into said intermediate chamber, means insulating said chambers below the floors thereof and above the reilings thereof, and means for causing air from said ice chamber to circulate through said cooling chamber and around and Without said intermediate chamber.

10. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a cooling chamber, and an intermediate chamber communicating With said ice and cooling chambers, said intermediate chamber having an outside doorway, insulated outside Walls for said chambers, said Walls'being unbroken except for asingle doorway opening into said intermediate chamber, means insulating said chambers below the floors thereof and above the ceilings thereof, means for causing air from said ice chamber to circulate through saidcooling chamber and around and without said intermediate chamber, and a roof for said buildaing arranged to permit air to circulate over said chambers.

11. A refrigerator building comprising an ice chamber, a cooling chamber, and an intermediate chamber communicating with said'ice and cooling chambers, said intermedite chamber having an outside doorway, insulated outside Walls for said chambers, said walls being unbroken except for a single doorway opening into said intermediate chamber, means insulating said chambers below the floors thereof and above the ceilings thereof, means for causing air fromsaid ice chamber to circulate through said cooling chamber and around and Without said intermediate chamber, and a roof having a ventilator at thetop and openings adjacent to its eaves to permit air to flow thereunder.

PAUL MANDEVILLE. 

